India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar said the decision to not accept the Women’s Asia Cup trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday, September 13, was made by the BCCI. Muzumdar said the team supported the governing body’s decision and was simply pleased to have secured the title.
The Indian coach maintained that the controversy surrounding the trophy presentation after their emphatic 72-run victory over Sri Lanka would not diminish their achievement. He also said the team had no regrets over the decision.
"That stand has been taken by BCCI and we stand by it. For us, this tournament is over. We are the champions. That's good enough. It was on the big board that India champions of Asia Cup 2026. This tournament is officially over for us. We are happy that we have turned out to be champions. Now, we look forward to the Asian Games," Muzumdar said during the post-match press conference.
“The fact that we are champions, we are really glad and I am really proud of every single person in this unit. Including the support staff and the players, needless to say,” he added.
INDIA REFUSE TROPHY FROM NAQVI
India defeated Sri Lanka in a dominant display to claim the title, but the post-match ceremony concluded without the Indian team receiving the trophy from Naqvi.
The PCB chief was one of the dignitaries present at the venue and was seated alongside BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla and secretary Devajit Saikia while India secured the championship.
Following the match, the Indian players gathered around Muzumdar as Shukla and Saikia joined the celebrations. Naqvi, meanwhile, was seen speaking with other dignitaries on the field.
During the official presentation, Naqvi handed the runners-up cheque to Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu. The ceremony concluded soon after Athapaththu spoke to the presenter and former Sri Lankan cricketer Farvez Maharoof.
Naqvi then departed the ground along with other ACC officials, leaving the Indian team without the trophy and winners’ medals.
INDIA GAVE NAQVI TWO OPTIONS
BCCI secretary Saikia said India had consistently opposed receiving the Asia Cup trophy from Naqvi, but the board still proposed two alternatives for the presentation. Under the first option, ACC deputy chair Khalid Al Zarooni would present the trophy to the Indian team. The second proposal, based on recent practice, was for a representative of the winning cricket board to hand over the trophy.
Naqvi rejected both suggestions, resulting in the impasse.
"The Indian team was always against accepting the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi but he was still offered a couple of options. The BCCI offered Naqvi that the Asia Cup trophy be handed over to the Indian team by ACC deputy chair Khalid Al Zarooni, which of course, he turned down."
"As per the recent norm, the representative from the Board which wins the tournament may be allowed to hand over the trophy. However, Naqvi remained adamant and the Indian team too refused to budge and refused to accept the trophy," Saikia told India Today.
The incident follows the controversy surrounding the men’s Asia Cup final in September 2025.
After India beat Pakistan to win the championship, the team reportedly had to wait for more than an hour before the trophy ceremony began. India had apparently asked for an Emirates Cricket Board official to present the trophy instead of Naqvi, citing strained relations between India and Pakistan.
Naqvi rejected the request and insisted that the Indian captain should receive the trophy from him. The disagreement led to an unusual conclusion to the ceremony, with an ACC official eventually seen taking the trophy away while the Indian players waited to go up on stage.
